SpaceX's Polaris Dawn Mission Achieves Historic Orbit, Prepares for First Private Spacewalk

The crew aboard the Dragon capsule reached the highest orbit in 50 years and will attempt a pioneering spacewalk on Thursday.

The SpaceX Dragon capsule, launched on Tuesday, ascended to 870 miles above Earth's surface, the highest orbit since the Apollo era.
Mission specialists Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon became the first women to travel this far from Earth.
The crew is set to perform the first-ever commercial spacewalk, scheduled for Thursday at 2:23 a.m. EDT.
The spacewalk will require depressurizing the entire Dragon capsule, exposing the crew to the vacuum of space.
The mission aims to test new SpaceX technologies crucial for future deep space exploration, including a new laser-based satellite communication system.